Suction head for vacuum cleaners



2 Sheets-Sheet, 1 i

Filed May 4, 1940 June 3, 1941. J. c. WILLIAMSON SUCTIQN HEAD FOR VACUM CLEANERS `ATTORNEYS.

i June 3, 1941- .1. c. WILLIAMSON 2,243,935

SUCTION HEAD FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Filed May 4, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l Z 33 3 l 2'5 20 I. 6 0 /Lg Zz' l I 2 @l .d I Z .Y wh Y j, 7 1.1: /0 if A ./4 f 2@ e 1 /5 i 7 /9 ff 7 ]Zly 4' ATTORNEYS'.

Patented June 3, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUCTION HEAD FOR VACUUM CLEANERS James Clarence Williamson, Albany, Ga.

Application May 4, 1940, Serial No. 333,408

equipped with an attachment embodying the 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a. suction head for ise in connection with vacuum cleaning appara- `us, the same being adaptable for use in cleanng smooth floors, floor coverings, drapes, furiiture upholstery, etc.

An object of the invention is to provide a de- 'ice of this character which can be manipulated leadily and which will cling to the surface being lrepared without, however, interfering with the movement of the suction head over the surface, hereby insuring the removal of dust and other bjectionable matter from anyA kind of surface o which the head may ber applied, whether the .urface is of wood, tile, glass or fabric.

A further object is to provide a suction head ormed of a iiexible material whereby it can cling roperly to uneven surfaces, there being an ar- Another object is to house within the suctionV lead a supporting wheel which constitutes a neans for facilitating the movement ofthe head ver the surface being treated and also acts to .mit the clinging action `of the exible surfacengaging material.

Another object is to combine with the head means by which a cleaning iiuid can be circuited within the head and over the surface being reated,means being provided whereby, if de- Ired, this cleaning uid can be recovered for epeated use. l

With the foregoing and other objects in view vhich will appear as the description proceeds, he invention consists of certain novel details of onstruction and combinations of parts hereinfter more fully described and pointed out in the laims, it being understood that changes may be lade in the construction and arrangement of arts without departing from the spirit of the ivention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred arms of the invention have been shown.'

In said drawings Y Figure l is a side elevation of a vacuum cleaner present improvements, portions of the attachment being broken away.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the suction head, said section being taken from front to rear.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the suction head, the fabric' running element being removed. Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4, Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical section through a portion of the margin of a modified form of suction head utilizing a brush-like rubbing means.

Figure 6 is a section on line 6 6, Figure 5.

Figure '7 is an end elevation of the air-control valve of the head.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, I designates an outer housing suitably shaped and proportioned, this housing being open at the bottom where it is provided with an annular rib 2. sui-table rigid material and secured in the upper portion of this housing is a tubular coupling `3 having an intake portion 4 located within the casing and provided with marginal ports 5.

Surrounding and tightly gripping the ribbed portion 2 of the housing I is the upper end portion of a downwardly flared flexible ring S formed preferably of rubber and merging into an annular flange 1. In the bottom surface of this ,ange are radial grooves 8 which extend upwardly within the inner surface of the flared ring E so as to II of a caster I2' which is of the usual type mounted to move freely about a vertical axis. Obviously by removing the screws I0 the. caster can be detached from the housing 9 ,and,`if desired, the housing can be detached from the intake portion 4.. A set screw I3 carried by the caster can be used for` holding it against rotation about its pivotal -connection with the base Il.'

The housing can be made of any .formed in the lower face of this lower end I6 and register with but are out of alinement with the radial grooves 3 in the flange 1. The bottom surface of this inner ring is adapted normally to be supported in the same plane with the bottom surface of the flange 1 and ring I5 constitutes a means for dividing The interior of t'he suction head into a central compartment I8 and an outer or annular compartment I9, these two compartments communicating solely through the grooves i1 while compartment I9 communicates solely through the upper ends of the grooves 8 With the suction compartment 2li formed between the inner and outer housings 3 and i.

Removahly seated within the housings I and il is a tube constituting a valve casing. The outer end of this tube, which isilangedas at 22, has segmental intake openings 23, as shown in 'figure '7 and these openings are adapted to be closed by a rotatable damper or valve 24 which can be turned by means of a linger piece 25. Obviously by moving this valve or damper to one position the openings 23 will he closed whereas by moving it away from that position, the openings can be partly or entirely uncovered thereby to regulate the flow of air through the valve and into the inner chamber i8.

Secured within the inner housing S is an arcuate spraying head 26 having small. apertures opening downwardly therein as shown at 21. This spraying head has a nipple 28 extending upwardly therefrom andl removably mounted .within openings 2d and 38 in the tops of the housings Si and I respectively. A casing 3| carried by another ipple 32, is detachably mounted on nipple imapd has a valve 33. Nipple 32 is adapted to be seated detachably in one end of a flexible tube 34 leading to a container for holding a cleaning fluid. In the structure shown in Figure l this container is suspended by hangers 35 from the handle H of a vacuum cleaner C and the' container includes a body portion 36 having a porous partition 31 supported transversely therein for dividing the container into upper and lower compartments. This partition constitutes va filter and can be formed of metal Wool or other suitable material. The body 36 has an apertured closure 38 lined with a porous filtering material shown at 39 and a tube 4D extending downwardly within the container to a point adjacent to the bottom thereof is connected to tube 34 and constitutes the outlet for cleaning fluid. An inlet 4I opens through the top of the container and leading thereto is an exhaust tube 42 extending from the outlet of the cleaner C.

Coupling 3 is joined --to a tubular handle 43 by -means of which the suction head I can be manipulated readily and this handle is connected at its upper end by a tube 44 to a trough-like coupling. 45 to which the intake end of the vacuum cleaner C is adapted to be joined either by -placing it therein or by fastening it thereto. Thus when the vacuum cleaner C is operated'in the usual manner a suction will be set up through the suction head, its handle 43 and the tube 44 Instead of using the container SiS, a separate container in the form of a jacket 46 can be mounted on the handle 43. This container has an outlet 41 provided with a valve 48 and to this outlet the tube 34 can be joined so that fluid thus can flow directly from container 46 to the spraying head 26.

When it' is desired to use this suction head l for the purpose of removing dust and dirt from a surface, the open bottoms of the rings 6 and I can be covered with any suitable surfaceengaging material. For example a coarse mesh corded fabric indicated generally at 49 can be tied around the ring 6 as shown in Figures 1 and 2 so that this fabric will present a rubbing surface. Assuming that valve 33 is closed, a suction set up through the handle 43 will cause air to be withdrawn from both chambers I8 and I8. A clinging action will be set up between the head and the surface under treatment, this being limi ited to a certain extent by the caster I2. Streams tothe vacuum 'cleaner C and thencethrough tube 42 into the container 36 from which the air will be dissipated through the apertured top of closure 33.

Obviously if the valve 33 is opened, the suction through head I and pressure of air on the cleaning fluid contained within container 36, will cause the duid to flow through the tubes 4 0 and 34 to the spraying head 26 from which it `will be discharged on surface being cleaned.

ofair will be sucked over the surface under treatment through the grooves 8 and thence into the suction chamber 20. Any air pickedup into the bottom of the chamber I 8 will be drawn outwardly through the grooves I1 into the annular chamber I9. By partly or entirely opening the valve 24 air will be admitted to the chamber I8 in controllable quantities so that the hugging action of the suction head upon the surface being treated will thus be regulated by a reduction in the pull through the grooves 8 and I1. In every case the dust-laden air is carried upwardly through grooves 8 to the'chamber 20- and thence to the container 36 where it is filtered and exhausted.

Should it be desired to clean the surface with a fluid, the foregoing action is continued but valve 33 is opened so that cleaning fluid can thus be sprayed onto the surface surrounded by ring i5. Surplus fluid and the fumes arising from the treated surface will be carried off through grooves I1 into the chamber I 9 and thence to chamber 20 and ports 5 from which the same will be conveyed through handle 43 and tube 44 to the suction element C which, in turn, will discharge it into the upper portion'of container 36. Here the reclaimed cleaning fluid will be filtered at 31 and gravitates into the bottom of the container while the air will be dissipated through the apertured closure 38.

As the rings 6 and I5 are formed of exible material, the suction head can vadapt itself readily to uneven surfaces. If desired the fabric 49 can be removed and some other surface-treating agent substituted therefor. Furthermore, instead of providing the flange 1 With integral ribs forming grooves 8 therebetween, the bottom of the flange can be provided with a thick layer 5U of. sponge rubber or the like containing radially disposed rows of bristles 5I extending a short distance below the porous layer 50 so as to constitute stiff brushing elements defining air channels or grooves 5,2 between them. These channels or grooves open inwardly into the annular chamber I9 in the same manner as do the grooves 8. Obviously various other modifications of the structure can be employed and instead of making the suction head in the form of an attachment to be joined to a suction element C, it can be b uilt in as a part of said element.

Under some conditions it might be found desirable not to use the inner ring I5 and the housing 9. In that event these parts can berremoved readily as already explained. Where no fabric or other surface engaging material is extended across the bottom of the suction head, the caster I2 can be used as a means for facilitating the movement of the head over the surface under treatment. Under all conditions it constitutes a means for limiting the hugging action of the head on the engaged surface.

What is claimed is:

1. A suction head having outer and inner housings -providing an inner chamber and an annular suction chamber, ailexible annular flange carried by each housing for hugging a surface to be cleaned, air intake grooves in one surface of each flange and opening into its housing, means for effecting a suction through the head from the grooves, and a valved air inlet opening into the inner housing.

2. A suction head having outer and inner housings providing an inner chamber and an annular suction chamber, a flexible annular ila-nge carried by each housing for hugging' a surface to be cleaned, air intake grooves in one surface of each flange and opening into its housing, means for effecting a suction through the head from the grooves, a valved air inlet opening into the inner housing, and a flexible porous rubbing element carried by the outer flange and bridging both chambers.

3. A suction head having a housing, a flexible annular flange carried thereby for hugging a surface to be cleaned, air intake grooves in one surface of the flange and opening into the housing, means for effecting a suction through the head from the grooves, a valved air inlet opening into the housing, and spaced brushing elements carried by the flange, between the grooves.

4.`A suction head including outer and inner housings cooperating to provide a suction chamber therebetween, flexible portions carried by the respective housings for gripping engagement with a surface to be treated, said portions cooperating to provide an' annular chamber therebetween, there being an inner chamber deilned by the inner housing and its flexible portion, there being grooves inthe flexible portion of the inner housing providing communication between said inner and annular chambers and there being gnooves in the flexible annular portion of the outer chamber opening into the suction chamber, the

grooved portions being Apositioned for engagement with the surface under treatment, and means for creating a suction of air through the grooves and into the suction chamber from the inner and ann-ular chambers.

5. A suction head an inner housing detachably connected thereto and cooperating therewith to provide a suction chamber, a suction tube in communication with said chamber, concentric exible portions carried by the respective housings for hugging engagement with a surface under treatment, said por-J tions cooperating to provide an annular chamber, there being grooves in one surface of the flexible portion of the outer housing providing means for maintaining communication between the outer air and over the surface under treatment to the suction chamber, said inner flexible portion cooperating with the inner housing to define an inner cham-ber, there being grooves in the surface-engaging. part tion constituting sole between the inner and means of communication annular chambers, and a including an outer housing,`

of the inner flexible por- .valved air intake opening into the inner chamber.

`6.a A suction head including an outer housing, an inner housing detachably connected thereto and cooperating therewith to provide a suction chamber, a suction tube in communication with said chamber, concentric flexible portions carried by the respective housings for hugging engagement with .a surface under treatment, said portions cooperating to provide an annular chamber, there being grooves in one surface of the flexible portion of the outer housing providing means i'or between the outer air and over the surface under treatment to the suction chamber, said inner flexible portion cooperating with the inner housing to deilnean inner chamber, there being grooves in the surface-engaging part of the inner flexible portion constituting sole means of communication Ibetween the inner and annular chambers, a valved air intake opening into the inner chamber, and a supporting wheel within and detachably connected to the inner housing.

7. A suction head including an outer housing, an f' inner housing detachably connected thereto and cooperating therewith to provides suction chamber, a suction tube in communication with said chamber, concentric flexible portions carried by the respective housings for hugging engagement with a surface under treatment, to provide an annular flexible portion cooperating with the inner housing to' define an inner chamber, there being grooves in the surface-engaging part of the inner flexible portion constituting sole means of communication between the inner and annular chambers, a valved air intake opening into the inner chamber, a spraying nozzle within the inner housing, and means for supplying a cleansing fluid to said nozzle.

8. A suction head including an outer housing, an inner housing detachably connected thereto and cooperating therewith to provide a suction chamber, a suction tube in communication with said chamber, concentric flexible portions carrled by the respective housings for hugging engagement with a surface under treatment, said portions cooperating to provide an annular chamber, there being grooves in one surface of the flexible portion of the outer housing promaintaining communication between the outer air 'and over the surface under suction chamber, said inner flexible portion cooperating with the inner housing to define an inner chamber. there being grooves in the surface-engaging part of' the inner ilexible portion constituting sole means of communication between the inner and annular chamber, a valved air intake opening into the in'- ner chamber, aspraying nozzle within the inner housing, means for supplying a cleansing iluid to said nozzle, a container for cleansing fluid, means for exhausting air from said head and into the container, and means for conductingcleansing fluid from the container to the nozzle.

' JAMES CLARENCE WILLIAMSON;

maintaining communication 

